CONWY County Council will be discussed in Parliament today as one of only two authorities in Wales not to support Remploy.

Government-owned Remploy provides employment services for disabled people. All 54 of its factories are under threat of closure when public funding is stopped by the Government in April 2013.

A Parliamentary debate, scheduled for 2.30pm today, will discuss its future.

Phil Davies, GMB National Secretary, said: “MPs from Wales will draw attention to the councils that are failing to support Remploy.

“The crucial campaign objective for Remploy workers is to get the loading up from 50% now to 100% and to keep these factories open.”

GMB claims Remploy factories are rendered less economic, being only 50% loaded because either public bodies have failed to support them with work, as allowed under EU rules, or their own managers are turning down work. Authorities can support Remploy by outsourcing work to them.

Mr Davies added: “Parliament will be told it would cost Treasury less to keep the factories operating fully loaded rather than putting the workers out of work on welfare.

“The majority of Remploy workers who lost their jobs in 2008 are still on welfare three years later.

“These factories have a successful track record going back to 1946 until the public authorities stopped loading them with work in the 1990s due to an EU directive. The EU rules have been changed and the factories can be successful again when they are fully loaded.

“Making uniforms for the armed forces, emergency services and medical staff, and supplying schools would more than keep them busy.”

If current public funding is stopped by the Government in 2013 there is the potential for 4,000 workers to lose their jobs.

There are currently no Remploy factories in Conwy. The nearest is situated in Wrexham. Other than this, all other Welsh Remploy factories are in South Wales.

Conwy County Council was unable to comment at the time of going to press.